Brechin Advertiser ed ends 37-year journalism career

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The editor of Scottish weekly the Brechin Advertiser is leaving the paper after ten years as editor.

Alan Ducat retires from the paper on Friday, bringing an to his 37-year career in journalism, which began as a junior reporter on the Forfar Dispatch.

He worked his way up to become editor of the paper, later taking up editorship of the Kirriemuir Herald and finally the Brechin Advertiser.

A lengthy piece featured in this week’s paper on Ducat’s retirement, in which he told readers how ‘over almost four decades I have been part of an industry that’s moved from the typewriter to the computer, from black and white editions to full colour”.

He added: ‘Reflecting over 37 roller-coaster years in a career that threw up something different practically every day, I will leave with countless happy memories, and a sense of achievement in a number of areas.”

Last year the paper was left stunned by the sudden death of reporter Steve Mitchell at the age of 42.

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Ducat said: ‘There’s little doubt the Brechiner suffered a major blow in May of last year, with the untimely death of Steve Mitchell.

‘I was stunned by that early Sunday morning news, for Steve was not only a trusted colleague, but a very close friend.

‘I often think of Steve while bashing out sports copy on a Sunday morning, remembering the days when I used to sub his latest tale on the fortunes of his beloved Brechin City.

‘I will continue to remember him, but it will be over a bacon roll and a coffee as I glean through the Sunday papers – without having to think of popping down to the office to catch up with work.”

He added: ‘And, while I am preparing to clear the desk and ride off into the sunrise on Friday, there are others ready to take up the challenge of taking local reporting into a new era – one in which the web and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will play a leading role.”

The paper had an average weekly circulation of 2,513 in the last six months of 2011, down 7.7 per cent year on year.